Automatic alarm-cell



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. RUMPEL.

AUTOMATIC ALARM CELL.

No. 602,960. Patented Apr. 26,1898.

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UNITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

JULIUS RUMPEL, OF IVESTON, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC ALARM-CELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,960, dated April 26, 1898.

Application filed May 15,1897. Serial No. 686,676. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ULIUs RUMPEL, of /Veston, Platte county, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Alarm-Cells, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to automatic alarmcells for the reception of persons or valuables; and it consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to produce a device of this character which when broken will permit the escape of air or other agent in order that an alarm may be sounded, notifying the person or persons in charge either that a person has escaped from the cell or that it has been broken into for the purpose of removing articles contained therein.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents in perspective a cell embodying my invention and forming a part of said apparatus. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the mechanism for opening and closing the door of the cell. Fig. t represents a plan view of part of the same on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 represents a View, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a part of the apparatus. Fig. 6 is a detail view of part of the same.

In the said drawings, 1 designates a cell, vault, or the equivalent of a strong box for containing prisoners or valuables and adapted for public purposes or for private use. It will be composed by preference of a series of intersecting and communicating tubes, whereby an agent introduced into one will fill or enter them all. hen used as a cell, it will be of skeleton or open-work form, the interstices, however, being of size, of course, too small for a person to escape therethrough. In case it is employed as a vault or strong box it may or may not be of openwork; but if it is the interstices will by preference be so small that ones arm could not be passed therethrough or the article contained therein could not be withdrawn through such openings. In fact, in the case of a strong boX it need not be in skeleton form. This is simply a matter of construction, however, and need not be enlarged upon here, as the principle is the same, the idea being to provide a cell or box from which a person cannot escape or from which an article cannot be withdrawn Without fracturing the structure in one place or another and consequently permitting the air or other agent confined therein to escape.

With a cell thus constructed it is obvious that there would be few attempts at j ailbreaking, on the theory that a thread is of sufficient strength to restrain a person if the breaking of it is the means of making that fact known to the persons in charge instantaneously, whereby the escape may be frus trated.

This cell is connected by means of a supply-pipe 2 with the reservoir 3 for containing air or other agent under pressure.

In practice the pipe 2 may be continued from one cell to another, if more than one cell of this character is desired. Said pipe 2 is also provided at any suitable point with a whistle or sounder 4: of any suitable or pre ferred construction, whereby the authorities or persons in charge of the jail, bank, or other place will be notified, through the escape of the air or other agent, that a prisoner has or is attempting to escape from the cell, or that an unauthorized person has or is at tempting to effect an entrance into the vault or strong box, or that an accomplice or out' sider has cut or broken one of the air-pipes leading from the cell or vault to the sheriffs or watchmans room, in order, for instance, that the door of the cell may be easily opened. The construction of the means for operating the door will be presently described.

5 designates an ordinary pressure-register, which indicates the pounds of pressure in the reservoir 3, and 6 designates the pivoted indicator thereof, said indicator in this instance projecting beyond the periphery of the reg ister in both directions by preference.

7 designates the door-opening of the cellar or vault, and 8 designates a door which closes the same, said door being composed, like the cell or vault, of communicating pipes. Said door is provided with the roller-carrying hangers 9, which travel upon a bar or pipe 10, secured to the cell. The door is prevented from swinging outwardly at the bottom or top by means of tubular guards 11, which also communicate and form a part by preference of the cell or vault proper, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

12 designates a hollow pipe which communicates with the hollow pipes composing the door, and said pipe extends or projects into the office of the sherilt or watchman, for instance, and is connected by a flexible pipe 12 within said compartment with the main supply-pipe 2, in order to permit the door to slide back and forth as it is opened or closed. Any suitable means, located by preference in the office of the sheriff or watchman, for reciprocating said pipe 12, and therefore for opening or closing the door 8, may be employed, it being intended, of course, that such mechanism shall be accessible only to author ized persons. One form of mechanism which I contemplate using comprises the following parts: 13 designates a rack-bar which may be formed integral with or secured to the pipe 12. 14; designates a worm-wheel which meshes continuously with said rack-bar and is provided at one end by preference with a bevel-gear l5, meshing in turn with a similar wheel 16 upon a crank-shaft 17, said wormwheel and crank-shaft being journaled by preference in a bracket 18, secured to the wall of the room where located or otherwise suitably supported. By this construction it is obvious that when the crank-shaft 17 is rotated the door will be caused to open or close, and it is equally obvious that it will be absolutely impossible without breaking the door or the pipe 12 to open the door without first rotating the worm-wheel, owing to the fact that the endwise pressure upon the pipe 12 or rack-bar will produce no effect upon the worm-wheel, and as a result the door will be immovable. The flexible pipe 12 of course permits the door to be reciprocated without difiiculty.

Referring now to the mechanism which sounds the alarm when the air-pressure in the reservoir 3 is diminished, and therefore notifies the authorities to be on the alert, 19 designates a bracket secured in any suitable manner, by preference to a wall of the sheriffs or watchmans room. 20 and 21 designate tubular standards secured'thereto, preferably of non-conducting material. 22 designates set-screws carried thereby, and 23 and 24cdesignate metallic rods, preferably,which are adjustably secured by set-screws 22 in the standards 20 and 21 at opposite sides of the pressure-gage 5 and within the path of rotation of its arm or indicator 6.

25 designates arms projecting from the rods 23 and 24 as a convenient means for electrical connection with the wires or conductors 26 and 27, leading from and to, respectively, the opposite poles of a battery 28 or other source of electrical supply.

29 and 30 designate branch wires which connect the wires 26 and 27 with an electric bell 31 or" the ordinary type for a purpose which will be presently explained.

It will be understood, of course, that numerous bells may be connected in the same or other circuits and located in different parts of the building or arranged at other points outside the building, if desired.

In practice when the reservoir contains pressure, say, up to eighty pounds, the indicator of the pressure-gage will have assumed the position illustrated in Fig. 1, and consequently will be in contact with the rods 23 and 2a, and as a result the electrical current will pass from the battery 28 through the wire 26, roc 23, indicator 6, rod 24:, and wire- 27 back to the battery. As a result, the current through the bell or bells will be so weak ened that no alarm will be sounded. Immediately, however, upon the escape of air the indicator 6 will respond and move out of contact with the rods and 2t. As a result, the circuit will be immediately broken and the entire strength of the current will pass through the bell and cause the alarm to be sounded instantly. At the same instant of course the whistle 4 may sound. This latter, however, is not a necessity, although it is to be understood that such whistles may be employed in lieu of electric bells, if desired.

It is obvious, of course, that a person skilled in the art of electricity may arrange to cause the bell or bells to ring in other ways than that herein indicated.

It will be understood, of course, that the top and bottom, as well as the sides of the cell, are to be composed of communicating pipes, and in order to secure privacy for the occupant or occupants the cell may be incased, as desired, by any suitable materialsuch, for instance, as sheet metal, as strength in this connection is not a desideratum-or, instead of the entire cell being composed of communicating pipes, or any part of it, in fact, as hereinbefore indicated where reference is made to a strong box, it may consist of a double wall of sheet metal, with an inclosed fluid-chamber in communication with the reservoir. The door maybe of the same construction, it being understood that my invention contemplates the use of any mateterial or arrangement of material whereby it will be impossible to escape from or have access to the interior of the cell without either opening the door in the proper manner or permitting the fluid to escape and causing as a consequence the alarm to be sounded.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced an automatic alarm cell or vault which may be employed advantageously in various connections and for other purposes than those herein mentioned.

It is equally obvious that the detail construction and arrangement of parts may be varied in many ways and that mechanical equivalents may be substituted Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1.. An automatic alarm cell or vault, comprising, in combination, substantially as here inbefore described, a cell composed of communicating hollow pipes and provided with a door-opening, a reservoir containing a fluid under pressure and connected to said cell, a door closing the opening of the cell and also composed of communicating pipes, a pipe forming a part or extension of said door, and provided with a flexible tubular portion Which communicates with the reservoir either directly or indirectly, a track for the door, hangers connecting the door with said track, and means to open or close the door, substantially as described.

2. An automatic alarm-cell, comprising, in combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, a cell proper, having a door-opening and inclosed or partially inclosed by a fluid-filled chamber or chambers, a fluid-reservoir in communication with said chamber or chambers, a door controlling said opening, and also containing a fluid-chamber connected to the reservoir, means to slide the door to uncover or cover the door-opening, and fluidcontaining guard-pipes 11, connected to the fluid-passage of the cell and adapted to prevent the door moving outward, substantially as described.

3. An automatic alarm-cell, comprising in combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, a cell proper, a sliding door controlling the opening of the cell, and formed with a fluid-chamber, a fluid-reservoir co11- nected to the cell, a pipe provided with a rackbar connected With the fiuid-chamber of the door, a flexible pipe connection between the door-pipe and cell-pipe, and a Worm-Wheel engaging the rack-bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JULIUS RUMPEL.

lVitnesses:

A. llODoWn, JAs. W. IVIURDOCK. 

